Kite Mansion Open - Kite Park League

22 competitors hailing from 11 nations came together on 24th November to 1st December for the conclusion of the 2018 Kite Park League season. The final event of the year, the Kite Mansion Open, hosted the world's best park riders in Icapui, Brazil,

for what quickly became one of the most popular events of the season. Duotone had a strong representation, boasting 7 riders, 4 of whom had strong finishes taking them into the finals. We caught up with our athletes to hear their thoughts on the competition.

Julia Castro – “ I am super stoked that this last stop of the Kite Park League happened. We are in the dreamy Brazilian location of Kite Mansion (Icapui) and even though the contest was challenging due to a completely different format with rails different to what we are used to, it’s been a dream come true to ride a park contest in this windy paradise.”

Aron Rosslee – “I always enjoy coming back to the Kite Park League events. They are stacked with great people and good vibes. Also, it’s a huge plus to be having an event in Brazil where the wind is perfect at the Kite Mansion. It was also great that the Kite Mansion crew organised a beach clean up where we could help give back to the environment and leave it in better condition than we found it. We also planted new mangrove trees after cleaning up the trash.”

Colleen Carroll – “It is a very special experience to be here for the first year of the Kite Mansion Open. It is a park competition unlike any other I have entered and offers new challenges in rail riding and something new to kiteboarding altogether. With the new format, we have to link two rail hits (or tricks) together on one tack with an emphasis on how your entire run flows together. It’s been exciting to see this new event unfold and has also been a privilege to be hosted so graciously by The Kite Mansion.”

Xander Raith – “Getting to the park is pretty crazy. Driving miles down a beach, passing through a police checkpoint and crossing a river, all before reaching the spot makes the Kite Mansion Open one of the most unique park setups I have ever ridden. The secluded park with pristine rails and a perfect kicker has made for an ideal finale to the 2018 KPL tour.”

Artem Garashchenko – “The spot is insane. It suits perfectly for combing rails into lines and sending tricks from the kicker on flat water. Actually lines are something new at this event and it gives even more room for progression as well as making your riding cleaner and more stylish. My best memory from this event was when I almost landed a toeside backside 900 from the Duotone Kicker. It was my first try and I was very close to landing it. Now I’m going to train this trick and try to show it at the future events.”

Nicolas Gilomen – “The Kite Mansion is a special place for me. I’ve been coming here for two years to see my friend Alex Maes and ride as much as I can in the kite park. Having a competition here is so good as the conditions are perfect and obstacles are super fun. The new format of lines riding was difficult but a super good new challenge!”

Noe Font – “I’m stoked to have an event in Brazil. Hopefully this helps with progression into our little side of the sport and shows everyone how much potential park riding has.”

Craig Cunningham - “I’ve been on the injured list for over 4 months now. Unfortunately, I couldn’t compete so I was asked to get behind the clipboard and pen. Judging has been fun because I know the riders pretty well and I can do a lot of the tricks, so it makes scoring a bit easier for me; or at least to give my opinion. That being said, I am pretty opinionated about the sport and how tricks are done but like to think that I keep an open mind about riding styles, power, technicality and just general topics in life so who knows, maybe more judging could be in my future.”

Congrats to all the competitors and we look forward to continue supporting the KPL in the coming season!

Be sure to follow all the latest news from Kite Mansion on Instagram @kite_mansion

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